Whitaker's Almanack
Encyclopedia
Whitaker's Almanack is a reference book, published annually
in the United Kingdom
. The book was originally published by J Whitaker & Sons from 1868 to 1997, then by The Stationery Office
, from 2003 to 2010 by A & C Black
and from 2011 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
, the peerage
, government
departments, health and social issues, and the environment
.
The largest section is the countries directory, which includes recent history
, politics
, economic information and culture overviews. Each edition also features a selection of critical essays focusing on events of the previous year. Extensive astronomical
data covering the forthcoming year is published at the rear of the book.
Whitaker's Almanack is not an encyclopedia
but more of a yearbook
of contemporary matters and a directory of various establishments in the UK (such as clubs, public bodies and universities).
Whitaker's was prized enough that Winston Churchill
took a personal interest in the continued publication of the book after its headquarters
were destroyed in The Blitz
; a copy is also sealed in Cleopatra's Needle on the north bank of the River Thames
.
and a shortened Concise Edition. In previous years, a larger-format of the Standard Edition, bound
in leather
, was produced for libraries. Both editions were redesigned in 1993 and 2004 to increase the page size and improve legibility.
message at the beginning of Arthur Conan Doyle
's 1915 Sherlock Holmes
novel The Valley of Fear
.
Almanac
An almanac is an annual publication that includes information such as weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, and tide tables, containing tabular information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar etc...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The book was originally published by J Whitaker & Sons from 1868 to 1997, then by The Stationery Office
The Stationery Office
The Stationery Office is a British publishing company that was created in 1996 when the publishing arm of Her Majesty's Stationery Office was privatised. TSO is the official publisher and the distributor for legislation, command and house papers, select committee reports, Hansard, and the London,...
, from 2003 to 2010 by A & C Black
A & C Black
A & C Black is a British book publishing company.The firm was founded in 1807 by Adam and Charles Black in Edinburgh, and moved to the Soho district of London in 1889. In 1851, the firm bought the copyright of Walter Scott's Waverley Novels for £27,000. In 1902 it published P. G...
and from 2011 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Content
The Almanack consists of articles, lists and tables on a wide range of subjects including educationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, the peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
, government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
departments, health and social issues, and the environment
Social environment
The social environment of an individual, also called social context or milieu, is the culture that s/he was educated or lives in, and the people and institutions with whom the person interacts....
.
The largest section is the countries directory, which includes recent history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, economic information and culture overviews. Each edition also features a selection of critical essays focusing on events of the previous year. Extensive astronomical
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
data covering the forthcoming year is published at the rear of the book.
Whitaker's Almanack is not an encyclopedia
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
but more of a yearbook
Yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
of contemporary matters and a directory of various establishments in the UK (such as clubs, public bodies and universities).
Whitaker's was prized enough that Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
took a personal interest in the continued publication of the book after its headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
were destroyed in The Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
; a copy is also sealed in Cleopatra's Needle on the north bank of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
.
Formats
Each year's Almanack is published in two formats - the Standard EditionEdition
In printmaking, an edition is a number of prints struck from one plate, usually at the same time. This is the meaning covered by this article...
and a shortened Concise Edition. In previous years, a larger-format of the Standard Edition, bound
Bookbinding
Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text-block.-Origins of the book:...
in leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
, was produced for libraries. Both editions were redesigned in 1993 and 2004 to increase the page size and improve legibility.
Editors
The Almanacks current Executive Editor is Ruth Northey, whilst former editor Hilary Marsden contributes to the "Countries of the World" section.Editors since 1868
- Joseph Whitaker 1868-1895
- Sir Cuthbert WhitakerCuthbert WhitakerSir Cuthbert Wilfred Whitaker was editor of Whitaker's Almanack. He held the position for fifty-five years, succeeding his father Joseph Whitaker when he died in 1895, and was in turn succeeded by a nephew on his death....
1895-1950 - F H C Tatham 1950-1981
- Richard Blake 1981-1986
- Hilary Marsden 1986-1999
- Lauren Simpson 1999-2004
- Inna Ward 2004-2008
- Claire Fogg 2008-2010
- Ruth Northey 2010-
Editorial Team
The current editorial team of Whitaker's Almanack who work alongside the Executive Editor are International Project Editor Joel Simons, UK Project Editor Nathan Joyce and Editorial Assistant Oli Lurie.Alternative publications
- The World Almanac and Book of Facts
- The CIA World FactbookThe World FactbookThe World Factbook is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official paper copy version is available from the National Technical Information Service and the Government Printing Office...
- TIME Almanac with Information PleaseTIME Almanac with Information PleaseTIME Almanac with Information Please is an almanac published in the United States. The almanac was first published in 1947 as the Information Please Almanac by Dan Golenpaul...
- The New York Times AlmanacThe New York Times AlmanacThe New York Times Almanac is an almanac published in the United States. The first edition, published in late 1997, was the 1998 New York Times Almanac. It is published by Penguin Group....
- Der Fischer WeltalmanachDer Fischer WeltalmanachDer Fischer Weltalmanach an almanac, a popular publication of the information issued in Frankfurt on Main, Germany, created at the end of each year since 1959 by a team of Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag.-Concept:...
- Europa World Year BookEuropa World Year BookThe Europa World Year Book, is a publication of the information issued in Great Britain from 1926 to 1988 under title "The Europa Year Book: a World Survey".In the opinion of many is regarded as fundamental to its publication in the field worldwide...
In popular culture
Whitaker's Almanack provides the key to a crucial book cipherBook cipher
A book cipher is a cipher in which the key is some aspect of a book or other piece of text; books being common and widely available in modern times, users of book ciphers take the position that the details of the key is sufficiently well hidden from attackers in practice. This is in some ways an...
message at the beginning of Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
's 1915 Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
novel The Valley of Fear
The Valley of Fear
The Valley of Fear is the fourth and final Sherlock Holmes novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The story was first published in the Strand Magazine between September 1914 and May 1915, and the first book edition was published in New York on 27 February 1915.- Part I: The Tragedy of Birlstone...
.